Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Daily Pepys: January 18th, 1661

Samuel Pepys was certainly a man of his time. He had no problems beating his servants and lackeys, so it should come as no surprise that he also beat his monkey.

The Captains went with me to the post-house about nine o'clock, and after a morning draught I took horse and guide for London; and though some rain, and a great wind in my face, I got to London at eleven o'clock. At home found all well, but the monkey loose, which did anger me, and so I did strike her till she was almost dead, that they might make her fast again, which did still trouble me more. Took Mr. Holliard to the Greyhound, where he did advise me above all things, both as to the stone and the decay of my memory, (of which I now complain to him) to avoid drinking often, which I am resolved, if I can, to leave off. Took home with me from the bookseller's Ogilby's Ӕsop, which he had bound for me, and indeed I am very much pleased with the book.

2 comments:

I'm forming a personal opinion of Pepys that I'll post sometime, but the short version of it is: he comes across as childlike, in a sense that he just sort of did what he felt like doing, and became most depressed when unable to do so.

I suspect that most people from Pepys' time thought that beating a person or an animal was the best thing to do, when the victim was misbehaving, and when the victim was unable to fight back and of a lower status.